41 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

You seem to be accepting as fact that Dack isn't playing because JDT thinks he doesn't fit his system, rather than just not being fit enough yet. 

That’s because I think that JDT has reservations about Dack based on an earlier conversation I had with a coach at Rovers. The signing of Szmodics and the manager not bringing Dack on for Gally, BBD or Hedges when they were hanging out of their arses is further corroboration….I don’t believe JDT fancies him. That’s my opinion 👍🏼

40 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

I get the doubts about Dack's physical ability to press like a lunatic for 90 mins, but surely his footballing ability will get him a place in the team once he's a bit fitter. 

I think the focus should always be on the needs of the team. If he’s not the right fit then HE must change to fit, NEVER the other way around.

Relaxing team standards for any one individual, even a top performer results in the whole process collapsing.

Stick to your guns JDT, let’s pray Dack changes for us! 

5 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

I thought Vale was decent enough and I would start him again. Thought he show some good points but for his first start he did decent. Think some people comments are abit off on his overall performance 

I thought he looked ok, was pretty lost at times but I’d defo start him at Swansea. He deserves that.

39 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

 

Praying it’s JPvH, this week! What a buzz that would create! 🙏🏽

5 hours ago, Ossydave said:

Been told smoddy fee is wayyyyy below 2.5 and he's booked in for a Monday medical. 2.5 is a promotion figure and based on appearances 

Of course!!

Fry said that the bids they’d turned down were “over a million”. I reckon it’s still only a touch over a million now, probably half (£500-600k) upfront and the rest in appearance and promotion incentives to a max of £2.5m

My guess is that unless Szmody is 100 appearances in having helped fire us into the PL, Posh will never even see £1.5m of Rovers money. With that in mind I pray we end up paying em the full £2.5m. Though I’m dubious of that figure as it looks like it’s been made up   on Posh’s side to keep their fans happy…Overall, looks like a JDT type. Best of luck to him 👍🏼

7 hours ago, WacoRover said:

Tomasson: “Overall, it’s a great win for us to get the project started.”

This is about the 6th time he has called the club a project. He’s right, I suppose, when he refers to Rovers as a project; but, it doesn’t sound very endearing or personal about the club. 

I guess I won’t say anything bad about him, if he leaves us after 3-4 years, & we’re in much better shape, possibly, in the PL. I seriously doubt he came to Rovers to retire. Arguably, that’s all Kenny ever wanted, he was a Red for life when we got him, he went back there, and we still love him.

I just hope that’s how Tomasson’s chapter of the clubs history reads. 

TBF to the manager, he always tags on the importance to winning now, for the fans etc etc…

I think we’re a project, like Liverpool were when they took Klopp and City when Sheik Mansoor took over, the same as Newcastle and the Saudi’s…it’s Mowbray who has created an aversion to words like Journey and project. Because he hid behind them during 15 game winless runs when all we wanted was the truth.

I can’t ever see JDT doing that. I’m just relieved that there finally feels like there’s a plan.

4 hours ago, AJW said:

Thought Vale struggled to get involved today , a few nice touches but not much else I think there is more there than what was shown today , Hedges same can’t say he contributed much but with 15 mins to go i thought Gally and Diaz were struggling we needed fresh legs that when I would have brought on Dack and Markanday , felt we were hanging on towards then end , Dack has the ability to lift the crowd even if JDT doesn’t think he’s fit enough or fits into his style of play he cannot deny his impact on the team and fans 

I felt exactly the same (other than about Hedges who was 100% my mom)….

Gally and BBD were out on their feet for the last 15 mins, most of the front 6 (midfield and forwards) were. The fact JDT said in his interview about ‘nearly’ putting Adam Wharton on and yet didn’t put Dack on was a significant in context. It meant that he trusted half a team of shattered players over the subs. For Markanday, Wharton etc, that’s ok. They’re  young, it’s normal for a coach not to fully trust them at 1-0 and fine to lack strength and a bit of stamina. For Dack, it’s catastrophic. Sure he’s not fit but he should in theory, as an experienced pro have been fit enough to go out there and run like crazy for 15 mins!? I just don’t think the trust is there. 

fwiw, I don’t think there’s been any fallout. Dack will just have been desperate to play and gutted he didn’t. From his point of view he’s seen an U23 start in front of him and Dolan come on as first sub for Vale, who had struggled for 60-70 mins. There’s no midweek match, he’ll feel embarrassed….he was the king of Ewood, the last time he played in games like these. I REALLY hope he proves JDT wrong and comes back fighting. What a player we’d have then!!

Encouraging start….very obvious way of playing with a narrow, rotating front four with width from the fullback areas.

Standout performance for me was Hedges. Someone on here said he has a touch of the El Hadj Diouf’s about him and I fully agree. Could be a welcome surprise this season. Buckley, Wharton, Brittain, Ayala and Trav all very good. BBD and Vale fairly quiet whilst Pickering and Gally struggled all match.

JPvH, Styles, Szmodics, Morton and Bowler asap please!…and that’s before we lose BBD. We’ll need another two forwards to replace him! 

                 Kaminski

Brittain Ayala  Wharton Pickering

           Travis.       Buckley

Hedges.      Dolan.       BBD

                    Gally

Subs - Pears, Carter, Edun, Garrett or Wharton, Markanday, Dack, Vale

3-0

27 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I personally won’t be getting overly excited by players coming in from Barnsley/Peterborough who I haven’t seen.

I need to have a look at them first, but of course, I trust the judgment of JDT/GB, and yes I am happy to see some actual scouting and bringing in of permanent signings with plenty of games under their belts, that are ready to hit the ground running. Not just ‘ones for the future’ or loans.

Me too…I do genuinely like Brittain and Styles who have stood out to me in every game I’ve seen them in. I have asked those around me on a couple of occasions, how on Earth those two haven’t had big moves!!

Haven’t seen anything of Szmodics or Bowler for that matter.

The really interesting point about the targeted players is their profile. Proof there is a desired style of play and that there’s a plan!! 🙌🏽

Just now, CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber said:

And to think only a few months ago we had old Tone focussing on developing other team's players whilst not looking at the league table 🤮 Haven't been this excited about a season starting for years! 

Could do with a few more bodies mind 

In comparison, Tony was much less focussed on a philosophy and tactics as such. He put trust in the players to find a way. Dack given a free role to ‘get caught up in the game’ etc…

Different styles I guess…can’t see anyone getting a ‘free role’ in JDT’s Rovers though.

1 minute ago, Mattyblue said:

I’ve literally no opinion on it either way as I can’t recall ever seeing him play.

I haven’t seen him either, his profile is interesting…

Champ experience ✅

Rarely injured ✅

High energy ✅

Tidy one and two touch ✅

Could put Brittain in those too…seems like a plan!

3 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Which, importantly, sounds like he's the right type of player for the way JDT wants to play.

I think it’s exactly that mate. I was told by a member of the coaching team a week after JDT was appointed that he is VERY specific about how he wants to play. They’d been doing his pressing drill for days!

The intimation at that point was that the players they would target would have to be tireless runners as well as being able to play fast, one and two touch football.

Brittain and Szmodics appear to tick these boxes as does Styles. Not sure on Bowler re his running stats etc 

10 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Decent player, but they should be wearing masks at 2.5m seems to be the general consensus on their forum…

I think it’s better to wait on what the fee is Matty, I can’t honestly see it being anywhere near £2.5m other than if he takes us up!

Either way though, it’s hard to criticise the club / owners who seem to be putting their money where their mouth is! 👍🏼

The consensus of opinion by Posh fans on Szmodics is that he’s a high energy 10, who looks to get in behind and has a goal or two in him. Interesting profile…

6 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

If the Szmodics talk turns out to be true it makes me think that @Paul Mani was right a couple of weeks back when he mentioned JDT feeling Dack wasn’t up to the pressing game he wanted to implement (if I remember correctly).
It seems strange to be forking out big money, for a player who it’s an either/or with Dack.

Ayala and Dack highlighted early on as not having the physical attributes to play the way the manger wants. Both on borrowed time unless they can prove otherwise 👍🏼

30 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Is this hope or expectation based on info?

Hope-xpectation 🤞🏽

Szmodics, Bowler, Styles, JPvH & Morton 👍🏼
 

Birmencevic plus another striker IF we / when sell BBD 👍🏼

Always makes me laugh (sometimes out loud) when posters come on here like “I’m sorry to tell you, but there’s NO chance of us signing him, we don’t have the money”

Me in my head - “Thanks Barry, from Darwen, but I doubt very much that having just finished your shift at Frank Barnes this evening, there’s a cat in fuckin hells chance that you know that!” 🤣🤣

1 minute ago, glen9mullan said:

Very true, interviewed a guy last week, verbally informed him yesterday he has the role. Now it all needs to go through HR etc, so I suspect his job offer will arrive some time next week if I'm lucky and with IT etc, he maybe in the building in around 5 weeks, as he will have a notice to work which he wont put in until offer arrives in writing

For most senior roles it’s 1-3 month notice period. This guys starting in just over a week…that’s rapid!

1 minute ago, islander200 said:

Nixon reckons we are after 2 centre backs 

Add a CB 👍🏼👍🏼

RB / RWB - Brittain✅

cb

cm - Styles

forward - Bowler / Szmodics

Also, read the article on Gus Williams - looks like we’ve bagged an absolute class act! 

18 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

If it’s the 2 out of Bowler & Styles then I’d personally go for Styles…Surely we can’t afford both?? We have Markanday & Hedges on the right, although I don’t rate the latter…

I think it’s Styles plus one of Bowler or Szmodics…

2 minutes ago, islander200 said:

Or the management who see them every day feel Garrett or Wharton can play a part. 

Sharpe is guessing what we are looking for there anyway.

I must admit, I think we need 2x cm’s too!

Intrresting that Nyambe’s deal was pulled. I thought as much…he’s just not great. His agent has probably cost him £3m in wages by not signing that 4yr deal he had on the table.

The club bidding on Styles and Smozics tells me that Dack is on borrowed time. I mentioned shortly after JDT’s appointment that the coaching staff were particularly worried about Dack and Ayala ability to fit in to the high intensity game plan….